There’s nothing Lee-Anne Pace loves more than playing in her hometown of Cape Town, and the four-time Investec South African Women’s Champion will be looking to add another trophy to her collection this week.
2010 Order of Merit winner Pace has triumphed in her home country’s flagship tournament in 2014, 2016 and 2017, and goes into this week as the reigning champion having claimed the title once again at Westlake Golf Club in 2021.
That victory among heavy rainfall in May last year was Pace’s tenth on the LET, as she made the most of her local intuition to deal with the conditions and see off Germany’s Leonie Harm by a single shot.
And with the possibility of claiming the title for a record fifth time at Steenberg Golf Club this week, Pace is relishing the chance to perform in front of a home crowd once again.
“There’s a little bit of pressure going in, but I feel I play a bit better under pressure so it’s important for me to have that feeling. It’s a different golf course this year, Westlake was very tight and long last year so it was very, difficult, whereas Steenberg is a bit more open and forgiving off the tee, so I’ll have to be more careful off the tee,” Pace said.
“I’ve played here twice before, and the course is looking fantastic here, they’ve done a great job preparing the golf course and the greens are going to be a major factor.
“I feel very comfortable playing in Cape Town, I feel comfortable playing in the wind and I’m super excited.
“Last year it was an insane week, the conditions were unplayable, the umbrellas were flying everywhere. But looking back it was really exciting for me, although I didn’t realise I was leading until I headed into the final green.
“I can’t even imagine what it would be like to win again, I try to think of one shot at a time, and hopefully that plays me into contention and I can get on a bit of a run on the last day.”
Pace is one of five former South African Women’s Open champions in the field this week, with compatriot Tandi McCallum claiming the spoils in 2009, while Marianne Skarpnord took the spoils in a shortened 18-hole competition in 2013.
More recently, Diksha Dagar claimed her maiden LET title in 2018, as she saw off Pace with two birdies in her final four holes to take her only win to date on tour.
That week is one that will live long in the memory for the Indian star, and as she returns to the city of her success, she will be hoping to overcome the windy conditions forecast for the week.
“I have a lot of happy memories coming back to Cape Town from when I won in 2019, it was a great week and to get my full time membership on the LET was really good,” the left-hander said.
“It is a beautiful place here and the course is in great condition, the greens are running really well, and it makes it easy to read the greens – I think my putting will have to be good this week.
“Luckily, my dad is really good at selecting the right club in the wind so hopefully I will be able to deal with the conditions.”
2020 champion Alice Hewson is also back to the scene of her first LET victory, with the English star getting her hands on the silverware in her first event as a full member.
This is the first time the 24-year-old has returned to Cape Town since that win, and after a T3 finish at the Joburg Ladies Open last time out, she will be brimming with confidence heading into the week.
“It feels really good to be back in Cape Town, it’s a different golf course but I’m looking forward to it,” Hewson said.
“It’s definitely challenging out there, the course is in fantastic condition but it’s going to be tough, we’re going to have to plot our way round the course, especially on the greens because they’re quite large and quite slopey, so I’m going to have to play sensibly this week.
“I’m pretty happy with how I finished last week, I didn’t putt too well on the last day but there’s always room for improvement, and it’s already improved from how I started the season in Saudi Arabia, so it’s trending in the right direction.”
Meanwhile, Joburg Ladies Open champion Linn Grant will be on the hunt for a fourth victory of 2022, having already lifted three Sunshine Ladies Tour trophies this year.
Switzerland’s Kim Metraux will also be heading into the week full of confidence, having secured a career-best second place finish at Modderfontein Golf Club.
